Do you remember the days when we almost have different devices for different purpose and do you still use any of them ?probably no. Do you remember your first computer or your television and since then how many times you have changed them? If you are tech savvy person there is 50% chance you will replace your phone with a newly launched phone as it will have some upgradation and addition of some latest technology. So all in all it is safe to consider that most of you have used many electronic devices and have replaced them after an over of period of time. But have you ever thought of what happens to those discarded , outdated or non-functioning electronics device .In todays era of rapid advancement in technology we are witnessing that the new devices easily outperforms the older one and to keep the things ongoing with the existing pace they are often replaced even when they maybe working and are in fine condition.
Today we will try to get a brief insight about E WASTE and why it is and should be one of the growing concern for environment .
WHAT IS E-WASTE
First of all lets understand the term what E-Waste refers to, 'E-waste is any electrical or electronic equipment that’s been discarded. This includes working and broken items that are thrown in the garbage .E-waste is particularly dangerous due to toxic chemicals that naturally leach from the metals inside when buried.
EFFECT OF E-WASTE
Lets have a look at what problems can be caused by the appliances used in our households, if they are not treated properly and just thrown away with the garbage .Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs)monitors and TVs contain and average of 4 pounds of lead each and excessive lead and other toxins pose a problem in landfills. Lead batteries contains sulfuric acid and Alkaline batteries contains silver oxide and cadmium .These batteries are very commonly used in many devices that we use in our day -today life and an incorrect decomposition of these items will impose a lot of problems to all life forms. Mostly old Refrigerators & Air Conditioners contains Freon, a chemical known as a ChloroFluoro Carbon or CFC. These CFC are capable of possessing a multi-level threat to the whole ecosystem like increased incidence of skin cancer and cataracts, immune system system damage, damage to terrestrial and aquatic plant life, increased formation of ground-level ozone (smog).
The negative effect of e waste affects directly to those sectors on which we are entirely dependent on i.e., Air ,Water and Soil. When E waste are dumped to the Landfills it is often done by dismantling, shredding or melting the materials which releases toxic gases into the environment that cause air pollution and damage respiratory health. Higher value materials, such as gold and silver, are often removed from highly integrated electronics by using acids, disordering, and other chemicals, which also release fumes in areas where recycling is not regulated properly. Moreover the remaining particles are generally saturated hydrocarbons which thrown into the environment. The effect of these toxic gases may differ from species to species and in the worst case scenario it may result to endangerment of certain species which are highly susceptible to those gases.
The E waste which are illegally dumped into landfills can result into huge problems for the soil and land around it. Heavy metals and flame retardants can seep directly from the e-waste into the soil. After soil contamination, heavy metals from e-waste, such as mercury, lithium, lead and barium, then leak through the earth even further to reach groundwater. When these heavy metals reach groundwater, they eventually make their way into ponds, streams, rivers and lakes. Since in many parts of the country there is no water treatment plant, the direct consumption of this water will surely prove to be very harmful for human as well for animals .This also have a very adverse effect on the aquatic life as well.
Once these toxic elements manage to enter the human body then the results can be hazardous. The negative health effects of these toxins on humans include brain, heart, liver, kidney and skeletal system damage. It can also considerably affect the nervous and reproductive systems of the human body, leading to disease and birth defects.
Asia - Dumping ground of E-waste
Millions of Electronic equipment are sent to the Asian countries like India, China, Pakistan etc. The waste is being exported in Asian countries by companies who trying to avoid paying increasingly high disposal costs in Europe or in USA. This E- WASTE are not only dumped to the landfills of this region but also are thrown into waterbodies surrounding it. The trade is absolutely illegal and against the spirit of Basel Convention which is an international treaty designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations and prevent the transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less-developed countries. The government must be responsible for the betterment of their citizens and should take some major steps against these illegal trade.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE E -WASTE?
There are some really simple steps we can follow to reduce E-Waste
1.Repair and Refresh your current device - Before buying anything, ask yourself whether you really need it. If you’re buying a new device even though your old one is in good working condition, why not simply upgrade the software? You can also try to convert your existing device as an alternative of some other .
2.Donate or Sell Working Electronics - There are many resources online for selling electronics that still work. If you are not comfortable with online trade ,you can also opt for some local retailers for this purpose moreover major retailers and brands have in-store, online, and drop-off site recycling options and some may also have a a buyback program for their customers. Instead of selling you can also donate them to some needy people as well. But before doing any of the above task ,make sure that you erased all the existing data from your device.
3. Last but not the least, if you think your device is not capable of any of the above option you must check for some local E-cycling center and if you cant find one in your city then their are several online sites where you can do the same.
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